Improved cut-nail machine



dinard Staten Latent (titille.

LEVI RICHARDS, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO HIMSELF, OLIVER A. VASHBURN,

ERICK' S. ROSOOE, OF SAME PLACE.

`GEORGE S. PERKINS, AND FRED- Letters Patent No. 98,109, dated December 2l, 1869.

IMPROVED CUT-NAIL MACHINE.

To all whom tt may concern.-

Be it known that I, LEVI RICHARDS, of the cit'y and county of Providence, and State of Rhode Island, have invented a new and useful Improved Feeder for Nail-Cutting Machines; and I do hereby declare that the following specification, taken iu connection with the drawings, making a part of the same, is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

Figure l is a side elevation.

Figur-e 2 is a top view.

It is well understood, that inthe operation of cutting nail-blanks from a plate, the shears are so set as to cut the plate upon a transverse line, slightly inclinedfrom a right angle with reference to the longitudinal axis of the plate. This fact requires the plate to be `turned over for each successive blank, in order that the wider end of the blank, when cut, shall be nearest the heading-dies.

Various mechanisms have 'been devised for feeding the plate to the lnachine, butall such with which I am acquainted are objectionable, ou the score of couiplexity or unreliability.

My improvements contemplate the same results that have been before accomplished, by the employmeut of mechanical combinations of greater simplicity,

and'resulting in superior eliiciency for the purpose intended.

Referring to the drawings` A is the bed of the machine, of suitable construction, upon which the machinery is mounted.

B is the driving-shaft, with a balance-wheel, B', as is usual.

C is the vibrating shear or cutter, to which move-v ment is given by the crank C, on the main shaft, acting through the link C2 and lever-arm C, or in any other preferred way.

D is the stationary cutter.

rlhe nail-plate, of proper length and width, is heldby a pair of tongs, attached to the end of a long rod, a.,- and suoli plate, it is to bc supposed, is inserted between the holding-spring jaws b b', as in other Inachines of this kind.

The thing to be accomplished is to give a semirevolution to the barrel c, to which the jaws b l1', holding the nail-plate, belong, for each vibration of the upper cutter C, and this semi-revolution must bein alter- YL Fi by a standard, E', whose foot is hinged to a part of the frame at j'. This platform, as will be seen, has a slight rocking movement upon its pivot-support incidental to the combination of which it forms a part,

and which is important with yreference to its effect in causing the nail-plate to retreat for a short distance while the upper cutter is rising, and, at the same time, enable the jaws b b to occupy a higher plane than that in which they were when presenting the.v

nail-plate, in order to admit of their turning without interfering with the lower cutter-block.

The devices which effect this rocking movement referred to are, the bell-crank lever F, whichis pivoted tothe platform at g, and has a rack upon the inner face of its horizontal arm 11", the teeth of which en-l gage with the teeth of thegear al upon the barrel c, betbre referred to; the link G, pivoted at one end to the bell-crank arm F', and at the other end to a fixed standard, H, upon the frame A; and the link I, pivoted at one end to the upper arm ofthe bell-crank F,

vandat the other end to the wrist-pin ofa crank upon the face of the gear J, driven by the main shaft; the effect of which devices as combined is not only to give a half revolution to the nail-plate in alternate opposite directions, iu advance of' the downward movements of the upper cutter, but also the act of Abringing the axes ofthe arm F and link G into coincidence, forces the platform E to be tilted backward, whereby the jaws l) b are made to retreat from the upper cutter, and, at the same time, be raised above the plane of the lower cutter, preparatory to being rotated.

The nail-plate rod a is fed forward a prescribed'distance, at each revolution ofthe rua-in shaft, by means of a pair of griping-jaws h, which are aixed to the upper end ofthe lever K, whose fulcrum is at In this instance, one of the jaws is stationary, and the other is movable, and the latter is forced to gripe the rod, at the propel' time, by a projection, It, ig.'2, upon the side of the movable jaw, against which a cam-face.

or wedge acts, such cam-face being located upon the side of the sliding-piece L, which, through the link M, connected to the vibrating jaw C, has a constant rc@ ciprocating movement.

The lower arm of the lever K has a stop-rod, N,

pivoted to the same, the end of which abuts against lwedge or cam-falce upon the slider L, :i sliding collar or stricture can be applied tothe gripers, operated by the vibration of the upper cutter, in :t wzty which will be readily understood by constructors of this kind oi' machinery. t

The-effect of' the several devices'which I have described, the forms ot' which muy be varied without changing their functions, when arranged in the combination in which my invention resides, is to greatly simplify the construction and operation of this class of machines.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The rneelmnism, substantially its herein described, through the medio of which to impart the proper motions to the jziws I b and bnl-rele ot' :t nail-plate feeder, which consists ofthe following elements or organism in combination; first, :L rocking platform, E, upon which the devices to hold the nail-plate Iare mounted; second, at vibrating rack, F', giving a. rotary movement to the barrel c,- Ind third,` the link G, ztll performing the functions herein set forth.

2. In combination with the rocking platform E, lever K, and stop-rod N, the grilling-jews h, operated by :t calm or wedge L, for the purpose of producing a positive intermittent forward movement of the nailplnte to the cutting-machinery, substantially as described.

LEVI RICHARDS.

Witnesses: 4 EDWARD C. AMES, ORVILLE BECKHAM. 

